U.S. patent number 6,913,407 [Application Number 10/215,530] was granted by the patent office on 2005-07-05 for tube with resilient applicator for dispensing texture materials.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Homax Products, Inc.. Invention is credited to Les Greer, Randy Hanson.
United States Patent |
6,913,407 |
Greer , et al. |
July 5, 2005 |
Tube with resilient applicator for dispensing texture materials
Abstract
A system for patching a destination surface to match an existing
texture pattern. The system comprises texture material, a tube
member, and a sponge member. The texture material comprises a base,
a carrier, and particulate material. The tube member contains the
texture material and defines a container opening through which the
texture material may flow. The sponge member defines an applicator
surface and a sponge opening. The sponge member is secured relative
to the tube member, and the texture material is forced out of the
tube member through the container opening and the sponge opening
and onto the applicator surface. The applicator surface of the
sponge member is brought into contact with the destination surface
to transfer texture material on the applicator surface to the
destination surface.
Inventors: |
Greer; Les (Bellingham, WA),
Hanson; Randy (Bellingham, WA) |
Assignee: |
Homax Products, Inc.
(Bellingham, WA)
|
Family
ID: |
23206811 |
Appl.
No.: |
10/215,530 |
Filed: |
August 8, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
401/266 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B05C
17/002 (20130101); E04F 21/02 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B05C
17/00 (20060101); E04F 21/02 (20060101); B05C
011/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;401/261,262,265,266,196,202,207,183-185 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Yu; Justine R.
Assistant Examiner: Le; Huyen
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Schacht; Michael R. Schacht Law
Office, Inc.
Parent Case Text
RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent
Application Ser. No. 60/311,424, which was filed on Aug. 10, 2001.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method of patching an untextured portion of a destination
surface to substantially match a structure of an existing sprayed
on acoustic texture pattern on the destination surface surrounding
the untextured portion comprising the steps of: providing an
acoustic texture material comprising a base, a carrier, and
particulate material having sound absorption properties, where the
texture material remains in a flowable form when not exposed to
air, and when exposed to air, the texture material dries into a
hardened form; providing a tube member defining a container
opening; disposing the texture material within the tube member;
providing a sponge member defining an applicator surface and a
sponge opening; securing the sponge member relative to the tube
member such that the container opening and sponge opening are
substantially aligned; forcing the texture material out of the tube
member through the container opening and the sponge opening and
onto the applicator surface; displacing the applicator surface of
the sponge member such that the texture material on the applicator
comes into contact with the untextured portion of the destination
surface to transfer texture material in flowable form from the
applicator surface to the destination surface, where the applicator
surface is substantially parallel to the destination surface when
the texture material is transferred to the destination surface;
displacing the applicator surface of the sponge member in a dabbing
direction substantially perpendicular to the destination surface
such that at least a portion of the particulate material is exposed
and extends from the destination surface; and allowing the texture
material to dry, where the hardened form of the texture material
has a structure that substantially matches the structure of the
existing sprayed on acoustic texture pattern on the destination
surface.
2. A system as recited in claim 1, in which the steps of forcing
the texture material out of the tube member onto the applicator
surface, displacing the applicator surface of the sponge surface
such that the texture material on the applicator surface comes into
contact with the untextured portion of the destination surface to
transfer texture material in flowable form from the applicator
surface to the destination surface, and displacing the applicator
surface of the sponge member in a direction away from the
destination surface such that at least a portion of the particulate
material extends from the destination surface are repeated until a
desired portion of the destination surface is covered.
3. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
providing a sponge base defining a base opening; securing the
sponge to the sponge base such that the base opening and the sponge
opening are substantially aligned; and securing the sponge base to
the tube member such that the base opening and container opening
are substantially aligned.
4. A method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the steps of:
providing a cap member; and detachably securing the cap member to
the base member to cover the sponge member.
5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
providing a cap member; and covering the sponge member with the cap
member.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the application of coating
materials and, in particular, to the systems and methods for
dispensing texture material containing particulate material to a
surface such as a ceiling.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
To form interior walls, modern building methods typically employ
sheets of drywall material nailed and/or screwed to wall studs. The
joints between adjacent sheets of drywall material are covered with
fabric tape and drywall mud. The taped and mudded seams are then
sanded to obtain a relatively flat surface. The surface is then
coated with a primer. The primed surface may be painted to obtain
the finished wall surface, or texture material is often applied to
the primed drywall surface before painting to create a textured
surface pattern underneath the paint layer.
Texture material is a typically a paint-like coating comprising a
base and a carrier. The base comprises a binder, a filler, and a
pigment. Texture material also may contain other additives, such as
thickeners, surfactants, defoamers, preservatives, and the like,
depending upon the application methods and destination surface. The
carrier allows the base to be deposited on the destination surface
in a liquid form. When exposed to air, the carrier evaporates, and
the binder adheres the filler and pigment to the destination
surface. The characteristics of texture material are such that the
dried texture material is not smooth like paint but instead creates
a bumpy, irregular texture on the destination surface.
Texture materials can be applied to a destination surface in a
number of different ways. For large surface areas, the texture
material is typically applied with a sprayer system. Sprayer
systems may be airless or may mix the texture material with a
stream of pressurized air. The source of pressurized air may be a
compressor, storage tank, or hand operated pump.
In other cases, such as touch up or repair of a wall or ceiling
surface, only a small area need be covered with texture material.
For small surfaces areas, the texture material is preferably
dispensed using an aerosol system. Aerosol systems typically employ
a container assembly, valve assembly, nozzle assembly, and
propellant. The propellant pressurizes the texture material within
the container such that, when the valve is opened, the texture
material flows out of the nozzle assembly. The nozzle assembly is
typically designed to deposit the texture material on the
destination surface in selected one of a plurality of predetermined
texture patterns.
The present invention is of particular relevance to the application
of a specific type of texture material often referred to as
acoustic or "popcorn" texture material to small surface areas, and
that application will be described herein in detail. Acoustic
texture material contains, in addition to a carrier and base, what
will be referred to herein as a "particulate" material. The
particulate material is typically formed by polystyrene chips, but
other materials, such as cork, rubber, or the like, may also be
used. Typical particulate materials exhibit desirable sound
absorption qualities that give acoustic texture material its
name.
With sprayer systems, the dispensing of acoustic texture material
containing particulate material does not typically pose a problem.
However, the composition of the particulate material has limited
the use of aerosol systems to apply acoustic texture materials.
In particular, common aerosol propellants tend to dissolve
polystyrene and thus are incompatible with the most common type of
aggregate used in acoustic texture materials. Inert compressed
gasses such as compressed air have been successfully used as a
propellant for acoustic texture material in an aerosol system.
However, the use of compressed inert gas as a propellant yields a
stream of texture material that is relatively difficult to control.
In addition, the polystyrene chips travel at relatively high speeds
that can cause the chips to bounce off of the destination
surface.
The need thus exists for improved systems and methods for applying
acoustic texture material to relatively small surface areas.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention may be embodied as a system for or method of
patching a destination surface to match an existing texture
pattern. The system comprises texture material, a tube member, and
a sponge member. The texture material comprises a base, a carrier,
and particulate material. The tube member contains the texture
material and defines a container opening through which the texture
material may flow. The sponge member defines an applicator surface
and a sponge opening. The sponge member is secured relative to the
tube member, and the texture material is forced out of the tube
member through the container opening and the sponge opening and
onto the applicator surface. The applicator surface of the sponge
member is brought into contact with the destination surface to
transfer texture material on the applicator surface to the
destination surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is an elevational view depicting a dispensing system
constructed in accordance with, and embodying the principals in the
present invention;
FIGS. 2 and 3 depict a method of using the system shown in FIG. 1
to apply texture material to a wall or ceiling surface;
FIG. 4 is an exploded section view depicting a portion of the
dispensing system of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 5 is a section view depicting a portion of the dispensing
system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Referring initially to FIG. 1, depicted therein is a dispensing
system 20 constructed in accordance with, and embodying, the
principals of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the
dispensing system 20 is used to apply new texture material 22 to a
wall or ceiling surface 24. Existing material 26 is present on the
exemplary surface 24, and an area 28 to be patched is shown in FIG.
2. The dispensing system 20 is of particular significance in the
context of patching the area 28 of the wall surface 24 to match the
existing texture material 26.
FIG. 2 also shows new texture material, indicated by reference
character 22a, in the process of being dispensed from the system
20. FIG. 3 shows, as indicated by reference character 22b, the new
texture material 22 applied to the surface 24 over the area 28 to
be patched.
Texture material typically comprises a base 36, a particulate 38,
and a carrier 40. The base 36 typically comprises a binder, a
pigment, and filler material. The binder binds the remaining
materials together and to the surface 24 to be coated. The pigment
provides color to the applied coating. The filler is typically an
inexpensive material that provides bulk to the coating without
interfering with the function of the pigment or binder.
The particulate 38 in the texture material of the present invention
is large enough to be visible to the unaided eye. The particulate
38 is typically sand, perlite, cork, polystyrene chips, foam, or
the like. The particulate 38 provides a desirable aesthetic "look"
and in some cases a functional purpose such as wear resistance or
sound deadening.
The carrier 40 is typically oil or water that forms a solvent for
the base 36 and thus allows the materials 22 to be in a liquid or
plastic form when not exposed to air. Exposure to air causes the
carrier 40 to evaporate or dry, leaving the base in a hardened
form. The carrier 40 is represented by dots in the drawings; no
dots are used when the texture material depicted has hardened.
The present invention is most significant in the context of
patching a ceiling surface with what is referred to as acoustic or
"popcorn" texture material. The dispensing system 20 may be used to
dispense other texture materials, such as sand texture or stucco,
but is of primary significance when applying acoustic texture
material, and that application of the present invention will be
described below in detail.
In the following discussion, the physical structure of the
dispensing system 20 will be described in further detail. Following
that, a method of using the dispensing system 20 to apply the new
texture material 22 to the surface 24 will be described in
detail.
Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, it can be seen that the exemplary
dispensing system 20 comprises a container 30, a sponge assembly
32, and a cap member 34. The exemplary sponge assembly 32 comprises
a sponge base 42 and sponge member 44. The sponge member 44 defines
a sponge opening 46 and an applicator surface 48. The exemplary
sponge base 42 is made of rigid plastic and is adapted to engage
both the container 30 and the cap member 34. The sponge member 44
is relatively resilient and is secured by adhesive or the like to
the sponge base 42.
The sponge base 42 and sponge member 44 of the exemplary sponge
assembly 32 are made of different materials. In particular, the
sponge base 42 is made of a relatively rigid plastic and the sponge
member 44 is made of a resilient material such as synthetic or
natural sponge or foam. This use of two different materials for the
parts 42 and 44 simplifies the manufacturing process and reduces
cost, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that
certain materials and manufacturing techniques may be used to
manufacture the sponge assembly 32 out of a single piece of
material. In this case, the sponge base 42 and sponge member 44
would be integrally formed and not separate members secured
together as in the exemplary embodiment described herein. The
exemplary sponge base 42 and sponge member 44 will be described in
further detail below.
Referring now for a moment to FIG. 1, it can be seen that the
container 30 comprises a main portion 50, a shoulder portion 52,
and a closed end 54. FIGS. 4 and 5 show that the container 30 also
comprises an opening portion 56.
The container 30 is preferably made of a soft or resilient plastic
material that is substantially impermeable to air and can be
deformed by squeezing by hand. Other materials, such as paper,
paperboard, metal, or the like may be used.
The exemplary main portion 50 starts out during manufacture as a
cylindrical tube having a fill opening at one end and the shoulder
and opening portions 52 and 56 at the other end. The new texture
material 22 is introduced into a container chamber 58 defined by
the container 30. The fill opening is then closed to form the
closed end 54.
Formed on the opening portion 56 is an external threaded surface 60
and a dispensing surface 62. A container opening 64 is formed in
the dispensing surface 62. When the closed end 54 is formed, the
new texture material 22 in the material chamber 58 may thus exit
the container 30 only through the container opening 64. A
dispensing axis 66 extends through the container opening 64. In the
exemplary system 20, the opening portion 56 and container opening
64 are generally cylindrical and their longitudinal axes are
aligned with each other and with the dispensing axis 66.
As shown in the drawing, again with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the
sponge base 42 comprises a plate portion 70, a mounting portion 72,
and a skirt portion 74. The plate portion 70 defines a sponge
surface 76 to which is attached the sponge member 44.
The mounting portion 72 defines a mounting cavity 78 having an
internal threaded surface 80. The external threaded surface 60 and
internal threaded surface 80 are complimentary such that the sponge
base 42 may be threaded onto the container 30 to attach the sponge
assembly 32 to the container 30.
A base opening 82 is formed in the sponge base 42. In particular,
the base opening 82 extends from the sponge surface 76 to the
mounting cavity 78. When the threaded surfaces 60 and 80 are
engaged with each other, the base opening 82 is substantially
aligned with the container opening 64. In addition, with the sponge
member 44 secured to the sponge surface 76, the sponge opening 46
is also substantially aligned with the base opening 82.
The skirt portion 74 of the sponge base 42 comprises a side wall 84
defining a skirt edge 86. The side wall 84 extends downwardly from
the plate portion 70 around the mounting portion 72. A cap surface
88 is formed on the side wall 84. A stop portion 90 of the cap
surface 88 extends radially outwardly from the side wall 84.
The exemplary cap member 34 is or may be conventional in that it
comprises a disc portion 92 and a wall portion 94. The exemplary
cap member 34 further comprises a pin portion 96 that extends from
the disc portion 92 within the wall portion 94. The wall portion 94
further defines an edge portion 98.
The cap member 34 may be selectively attached to or detached form
the sponge assembly 32 by engaging the edge portion 98 of the cap
member wall portion 94 with the side wall 84 formed on the skirt
portion 74 of the sponge base 42. The edge portion 98 engages the
stop portion 90 when the cap member 34 is secured to the sponge
assembly 32. However, the edge portion 98 engages the cap surface
88 such that deliberate application of manual force on the cap
member 34 can remove the cap member 34 from the sponge assembly
32.
Other systems and methods may be used to secure the cap member 34
relative to the sponge assembly 32. For example, complimentary
threaded portions may be formed on the cap surface 88 and the edge
portion 98 such that the cap member 34 is threaded onto the sponge
assembly 32. Alternatively, the cap member 34 may be oversized such
that it extends completely over the sponge assembly 32 and directly
engages the container 30, preferably at the transition between the
shoulder portion 52 and the main portion 50 of the container 30. If
the cap member 34 directly engages the container 30, the skirt
portion 74 of the sponge base 42 may be eliminated. The cap member
34 is not essential to the principals of the present invention, and
the present invention may be embodied in a dispensing system 20
without a cap member.
When the edge portion 98 of the cap member 34 engages the cap
surface 88 of the sponge base 42, the pin portion 96 extends into
the sponge opening 46 in the sponge member 44. The pin portion 96
removes at least a portion of the dried texture material 22 within
the sponge opening 46 and thus facilitates re-use of the system 20
after it has initially been opened.
With the sponge member 44 secured to the sponge surface 76 and the
complimentary threaded surfaces 60 and 80 securing the sponge
assembly 32 onto the container 30, the aligned sponge opening 46,
base opening 82, and container opening 64 define a dispensing
passageway 100 that allows material to flow out of the material
chamber 58.
With the foregoing understanding of the dispensing system 20 in
mind, the method of use of this system 20 will now be described in
detail. Initially, the area 28 to be patched is preferably cleaned
and otherwise primed or prepared, although the present invention
may be implemented without this preliminary step.
The main portion 50 of the container 30 is then squeezed by hand or
other method such that the container 30 deforms and the new texture
material 22 is forced along the dispensing passageway 100 and onto
the applicator surface 48.
As shown in FIG. 2, reference character 22a identifies a small
portion of the new texture material 22 on the applicator surface
48. The entire container 30 is then displaced in the direction of
arrow A such that the texture material 22a comes into contact with
the surface 24 at the area 28 to be patched. Surface tension will
cause at least a portion of the texture material 22a to adhere to
the surface 24. At this point, the container 30 is displaced away
from the surface 24 in the direction shown by arrow B, leaving a
portion 22b of the new texture material 22 on the surface 24 at the
area 28 to be patched.
The process of squeezing the container 30 to cause the texture
material 22a to accumulate on the applicator surface 48, displacing
the container assembly 30 as shown by arrow A such that the
material 22a is deposited on the surface 24, and then withdrawing
the container 30 in the direction shown by arrow B is repeated
until the entire area 28 to be patched is covered with the texture
material 22b.
The compressibility of the sponge member 44 is of significance in
that the sponge member 44 does not define rigid edges or surfaces
that will scrape and thus flatten the particulate within the
texture material 22. In addition, the texture material 22a is
daubed onto the surface 24 such that particulate material within
the texture material 22 projects from the surface 24 in a manner
similar to that obtained by an application process involving
spraying. The daubing action used to apply the texture material 22
is substantially straight toward the surface 24 along the arrow A
and substantially straight away from the surface 24 along the arrow
B. The sponge member 44 is not wiped against the surface 24 during
normal use.
To the contrary, a wiping action (movement substantially
perpendicular to the direction shown by arrows A and B), would
orient the particulate in the texture material 22 such that the
particulate 38 is pressed into and embedded within the material 22
and does not extend from the surface 24. Again, the idea is to
match the existing texture material 26, which in the vast majority
of cases will have been blown or sprayed on using an air sprayer.
The blowing process allows the particulate 38 to project out from
the surface 24.
Clearly, the cap member 34 must be removed while the system 20 is
used to apply the texture material 22 to the surface 24. After the
first time the system 20 is used, the cap member 34 is fixed
relative to the container such that the cap member 34 protects the
sponge member 44 and facilitates re-use of the system 20 at a later
time.
In particular, the dispensing system 20 is preferably distributed
and sold with the container opening 64 unformed or possibly with an
adhesive tab covering the container opening 64. If the container
opening is unformed during distribution and sale, the opening 64 is
formed by the end user immediately prior to use by piercing the
surface 62 with a sharp object such as a knife, nail, screw driver
or the life. If an adhesive tab is used, the user detaches the
sponge assembly 32 from the container 30, removes the removable
tab, and reattaches the sponge assembly 32 to the container 30.
Once the factory seal on the container opening 64 is broken by a
method such as just described, air may infiltrate the material
chamber 58 through this opening 64 and cause the material 22
therein to harden. The cap member 34 substantially seals the
opening 64 and thus prolongs the life of the dispensing system 20
after it has initially been opened.
From the foregoing, it should be apparent that the present
invention may be embodied in forms other than that described above
without departing from the principals of the present invention. For
example, the various components 30, 34, 42, and 44 are generally
symmetrical about the dispensing axis 66. (e.g. cylindrical or
frusta-conical or define cylindrical or frusta-conical surfaces).
This configuration of parts is relatively easy to manufacture and
is thus preferred. However, the present invention may be embodied
with forms that are not symmetrical about an axis of rotation, and
such other forms are considered within the scope of the present
invention.
In addition, containers other than the exemplary container 30
described herein may be used. For example, cylindrical cartridges
with a floating piston member are often used to dispense materials
of this type. Such cartridges are placed into a squeeze gun that
contains a ratchet mechanism that acts on the floating piston
member to force the material out of the opening. This type of
arrangement could also be used in conjunction with the principals
of the present invention to apply more viscous texture materials
such as stucco or the like to wall surfaces.
The scope of the present invention should thus not be determined
with reference to the foregoing preferred embodiment.
* * * * *